Elements of Collaborative Implementation
Based on the Oregon Solutions Model
- Assessment- is there a critical mass of interest/resources or support to make this a viable project?
Key tasks:
- Determine the viability of a proposed project, based on pre-determined criteria.
Ex. OS projects have criteria based on Sustainable Community Objectives of economy, community and the environment and on identified Regional Priorities.
- Framing the project and identifying what is needed for implementation (i.e. resource integration, agreement seeking, capacity building, etc.). This also includes identifying implementation barriers, from minor to significant.
- Outcome is a written assessment &/or proposed project outline and official kick-off of the project
Ex. If approved as a project, the governor provides a letter officially designating the project and appointing (co)conveners.
- Convening- what leadership is needed for this project with enough authority to attract and motivate others?
Key tasks:
- The initial stage in collaborative community problem solving, the building of the project team and the kicking off of the project.
- Outcome of this phase can include(but isn’t limited to):
- Team roster
- First meeting agenda
- Team ground rules
- Draft/Final purpose statement
- Education- what do all team members need to know to be on the same page?
Key tasks:
- Provide an opportunity for all team members to get on the same page, and allow everyone to hear the same thing at the same time. This phase could be quite short or last a few meetings depending on the nature of the project and the make-up of the team.
- Provide an opportunity for members to share their interest in the project, why they are committed to following through with an implementation plan, and what resources they can bring to bear for implementation.
- Outcomecan vary widely, but most likely will come in the format of information documents and presentations. Consider how best to share the information with the entire team.
Ex. OS provides all materials online via a project’s webpage on the OS website. Project managers often email materials to team members as well.
- Resource integration- what are the resources that can be provided & leveraged for project implementation?
Key tasks:
- Capture commitments, matchneeds to capacities, leverage resources and design a governance structure.
- This stage may also include a discussion about, or structuring of additional phases, if necessitated by the project.
- Outcome of this stage is an agreed upon commitment. Whether in writing or verbally, all parties understand that they are expected to follow through with their commitments and will be responsible to the team and the project in good faith.
Ex. OS has a Declaration of Cooperation, signed by all team members which is often accompanied by a celebration.
- Implementation- how can the commitments be captured for follow up and follow through?
Key tasks:
- Team members do the work they agreed to do in their commitments. The agreements should provide a road map/implementation plan for the project team to refer to and rely on for next steps and allocation of responsibilities.
- NB. This stage generally takes place after Oregon Solutions’ involvement.
- Outcome of this phase is the thing the project was aiming to achieve
- Evaluation and Follow Up- how do we evaluate success and how the process worked for team members?
Key tasks:
- Survey the project team members in order to capture data and feedback about their participation experience.
Ex. OS sends out an electronic survey (via Survey Monkey) requesting information on a variety of topics, including project team member’s involvement (their own and others), the OS process and outcomes. This data is compiled into a report which includes a comparison against an aggregate of data from previous projects. This report is debriefed by staff (not the project team).
- Outcome of this phase will be better understanding of how participants experienced the project and what changes may be made to future endeavors. This provides a good sense of what worked and what didn’t (i.e. best practices and lessons learned).
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